Purple Mist Deathland

The group set off again, traveling upriver along the Purple River. They drew closer and closer to the Purple Mist Deathland, until they could even make out a faint purple glow shimmering deep within the gloomy jungle. Just then, Xiang Yi, walking at the very front, suddenly waved his hand sharply and turned to look at the Purple River with a grave expression. Alarmed, the group came to an abrupt halt in unison. The next moment, a colossal wave splashed up from the middle of the river as a dark shape leaped from the water, vanishing right before their eyes before anyone could make out what it was. "Look out!" "Get out of the way!" ... Cries of alarm rang out as the crowd instantly scattered in all directions. Red light flashed across Qin Sang's body. Just as he was about to activate his secret talisman to pull back, a dark premonition seized him. Without hesitation, he slapped the corpse puppet pouch at his waist, summoning the Flying Yaksha. *Bang!* A dull thud echoed. The Flying Yaksha was actually knocked flying through the air, crashing violently into a tree. The fiendish qi cloaking it collapsed, and its chest caved inward deeply. Fortunately, the Flying Yaksha's physical body was exceptionally robust, sparing it from being shattered to pieces by the strike. Had anyone else present taken that blow head-on, their fate would likely have been grim. Only after the Flying Yaksha was knocked away did the creature reveal its form—a strange fish. It resembled a crocodile in shape, yet its limbs and tail looked as though they had been pieced together from various demon beasts, and its appearance was extraordinarily ferocious. Taking advantage of the opening, Qin Sang dodged away and rushed to the Flying Yaksha's side. Checking its injuries, he discovered that its chest had actually been pierced through. Cui Ji cast a gloating look in his direction. However, because no vital spot had been struck, the wound only appeared horrifying; in truth, it had little impact on the Flying Yaksha. It could rapidly recover by devouring earth fiend qi. Whenever Qin Sang faced danger, his first instinct was always to flee, or deploy the ebony sword or the Flying Yaksha. The creatures in this jungle were unlike anything seen before, possessing bizarre and uncanny abilities; even though he had the Gold Glow Armor, he had no desire to let them touch him. Faced with this strange fish living in the Purple River, the scent-masking sachet had proved useless. He felt rather annoyed. The reason this creature had chosen to ambush him was simple: among the eight of them, only he and Madam Liu had the lowest cultivation. Madam Liu had someone guarding her closely, so who to target was obvious. Xiang Yi furrowed his brows as he stared at the strange fish, then suddenly remembered something. "Damn it! A Purple River crocodile! Kill it, quickly!" The others were taken aback. Though they did not know why, seeing Xiang Yi's urgency, they dared not delay, unleashing their magic treasures one after another. In an instant, multicolored beams of light from various magic treasures bombarded the same target. Not wanting to be outdone, Qin Sang unleashed Sword Qi Thunderclap to avenge the Flying Yaksha. The Purple River crocodile whipped around to flee. Its bloated body was shockingly nimble; as it fled, it threw open its maw and let out a piercing howl. The howl was shrill, stabbing right through the eardrums. Just as it uttered the cry, the Purple River crocodile was struck by the ebony sword, followed immediately by attacks from two more magic treasures. The magic treasures hit the creature in succession, but failed to kill it outright, allowing its howl to carry across the area. Just as the cultivators raised their magic treasures again to press their assault, Xiang Yi stopped them. His gaze was fixed grimly on the depths of the jungle, letting the Purple River crocodile escape back into the river. Under everyone's bewildered stares, he barked in a low voice, "The Purple River crocodile's cry summons nearby vicious beasts! Move, now! Into the Purple Mist Deathland!" Before his voice even faded, the party sensed an anomaly stirring deep within the jungle. Strange cries arose, far more urgent than before, accompanied by dense swarms of dark shapes hurtling toward them. At the sight, everyone felt their scalps prickle with dread. Without needing Xiang Yi to urge them on, they instantly recalled their magic treasures and fled for their lives behind him. This immediately laid bare the disparity in their evasion techniques. Relying solely on the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman, Qin Sang kept pace shoulder-to-shoulder with Xiang Yi, who possessed the fastest speed, drawing glances of surprise from everyone present. Right behind them were the Liu couple and the sword-bearing youth. The youth had grasped Sword Qi Thunderclap on his own, and when Qin Sang had unleashed the ebony sword earlier, he had stared at Qin Sang for quite some time. Behind them were Cui Ji, the richly dressed fat cultivator, and Cultivator Pan. The three moved at roughly the same speed, bringing up the rear, though Cultivator Pan appeared the most at ease, seemingly not exerting his full strength. Behind them, vicious beasts swarmed in packs. The party fled in disarray. Fortunately, they were no longer far from the Purple Mist Deathland, and soon an endless expanse of purple mist appeared ahead. The purple mist blotted out the sky and sun, swallowing the entire jungle within it. Upon arriving, they caught wafts of sweet fragrance, immediately followed by a stinging prickle across their skin. The corrosion began before they even stepped inside, prompting them to hastily channel their true essence to protect themselves. The vicious beasts drew nearer and nearer, tearing through the jungle with thunderous momentum that rumbled like muffled thunder. The moment Xiang Yi landed, he swiftly retrieved a curious lotus-shaped treasure from his mustard seed bag. Looking closer, one could see that it was not a real lotus flower; gleaming with a pale luster, it had actually been carved from some sort of white bone. At that moment, the curious lotus treasure was tightly closed. As true essence was poured into it, the lotus slowly unfurled until it was the size of a palm. Every petal shone brilliantly, their radiant glow eventually coalescing into an enormous protective barrier. When the purple mist touched the barrier, it recoiled and parted, carving out a safe haven more than large enough to shelter all eight of them. "Inside!" Xiang Yi beckoned. The cultivators drew close and withdrew their protective true essence, discovering that the stinging on their skin had vanished; the treasure truly could fend off the toxic mist. Under the shelter of the curious lotus treasure, the party hastily entered the Purple Mist Deathland. Holding their breath and quieting their voices, they listened intently. Before long, the sounds of rushing footsteps behind them ground to a halt; strange cries from vicious beasts rang out from beyond the barrier, but none dared charge inside. "It was my oversight," Xiang Yi explained. "Purple River crocodiles are exceedingly rare, and I assumed that with so many of us, none would dare show themselves... Fortunately, Daoist Qingfeng possesses outstanding divine abilities." Cui Ji sneered sardonically, "Twenty years ago, this demon Daoist relied on that yaksha to put on airs, and even now, he hasn't made the slightest progress." Cultivator Liu shook his head. "I wouldn't say that. In my eyes, the Daoist's yaksha is remarkable; its physical body is extraordinarily tough, so that strike was likely just a superficial wound. When I was in the mid stage, even I would have struggled to best it easily. But what is most formidable about the Daoist is his evasion technique—I can hardly hold a candle to it. I hope we will have the chance to exchange pointers in the future." Xiang Yi nodded in agreement. "It appeared like a magic treasure refined from a flood dragon soul, yet it also carried the aura of a spirit talisman's power. Truly peculiar..." "Evasion techniques are merely minor arts; I have made a fool of myself before you all," Qin Sang said indifferently, naturally unwilling to reveal the secrets of the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman. Knowing better than to pry into another's secrets, the others refrained from asking further. Cui Ji felt secretly exasperated, yet he had nothing more to say. ... Outside, the herd of beasts gradually dispersed. The group took in their surroundings. Within the Purple Mist Deathland, the ancient trees grew noticeably sparser, and under the mist's influence, their bark had taken on a purplish hue. Taking in the sight, Qin Sang suddenly looked down at the lotus in Xiang Yi's hand, pointed at one of its petals, and asked with doubt, "Fellow Daoist Xiang, can this curious treasure also be tainted by the purple mist?" The others looked closely, only to discover that the petal—originally a pristine, pale white—was now tinged with an eerie flush of pink.